An exhibition of works by Jen Blazina and Natalie Guerrieri
February 22 – April 5, 2008 / Opening Reception: Friday February 22, 7-10 pm
Jen Blazina has never met her great grandmother, yet by transferring her photographic image onto glass, resin or rubber she develops an intimate connection. Natalie Guerrieri’s great uncle Jim passed away decades before she was born, however they visit often and she has become quite familiar with a man she’s never met. Desiring to discover their past, know where they are going, and interpret the present, artists Jen Blazina and Natalie Guerrieri pay tribute to yesterday and establish connections far removed. Time Capsules arrests that which has passed and presents it in a modern, digestible manner, innovative and stimulating.
Jen Blazina pulls old family snap shots from her grandfather’s collection to screen-print onto the back of her work. Rubber lockets, illuminated school desks, frosted glass panels and cast frames encase the recovered photographs and memorialize the past. Multiple repetitive works are often grouped together to create large wall installations. Repetition becomes a metaphor for the fragmentation of a memory and the desire to capture those ephemeral moments.
Natalie Guerrieri’s artistry consists mostly of larger than life mixed media paintings. Done on un-stretched canvases, they give the feeling of skin or hide. Photography is used as a visual tool for inspiration, interpretation, and re-inventing. Integrating photographs of ancestors into her work, Guerrieri explores painting as collage, creating a struggle between mediums. The content and narrative behind each photo determines the final outcome, the materials and technique following the real and fictitious narratives embedded within.
Please join us tomorrow night as we celebrate the opening of Time Capsules. Meet the artists, enjoy wine and light fare, mingle with friends and unlock the past.
